"Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick!" In a theater just outside town, moments before the first Saturday showing of the Jonas Brothers movie begins to roll, the unbelievable happens. As fans sing Burnin' Up in unison, the actual, living-and-breathing Jonas Brothers walk into the theater, grab a mike and begin thanking their fans for coming out.

This much we know: France's president is smitten with a former model, and a wedding appears in the works. Now that Nicolas Sarkozy has hinted at plans to marry Carla Bruni, France's tabloids are scrambling to fill in the blanks.

From flashes of fashion brilliance to what-were-they-thinking moments, the year's celebrity style choices told us a lot about our stars and our culture. Were there signs of hope? Or is it the end of civilization as we know it? USA TODAY takes a look you decide.

The amount of sunlight reaching Earth's surface appears to be growing. The phenomenon, which some dub "global brightening," presents scientists with a puzzle over the consequenses. Additional warming is certain only if nothing else in the climate system changes. And the climate system is anything but static.

Except for the Ray-Bans and someone dancing in their underwear, The O.C. was all about Risky Business this time around. What other pop-culture icons got shout-outs, aside from Tom Cruise? You might be surprised: